Sunday, September 11, 2011

McNabb throws for 39 yards in season opener

Donovan McNabb made his first start as a Minnesota Viking on Sunday in San Diego. And there’s no way to sugarcoat it: He stunk up the joint.

McNabb deserves most of the blame for the Vikings’ 24-17 loss to the Chargers. His first pass as a Viking was intercepted, a turnover that set up the Chargers’ first touchdown, and he didn’t get much better after that. McNabb finished the game completing 7-of-16 passes for a whopping 39 passing yards.

Yes, 39 passing yards. For an entire game.

McNabb’s miserable outing is particularly disappointing for Minnesota fans because the game was there for the taking. Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown to give the Vikings an early lead, and Adrian Petersonaveraged better than six yards a carry against the Chargers’ defense, picking up 98 yards on 16 carries.

For the Chargers, the victory was led by quarterback Phillip Rivers, who completed 33 of 48 passes for 335 yards, and by fullback Mike Tolbert, who plowed through the Vikings’ defense for 93 total yards and scored all three San Diego touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground.

For the Vikings, all we can say is the Christian Ponder era can’t get here soon enough.